


A Real Tough Cookie

by petersfeather



Series: Found Family [9]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Billy Hopper - Freeform, Billy has a family, Billy is Dumb, Dad Hopper, Funny, M/M, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Billy Hargrove, aka i tried to be funny, and gets hurt, bc i just feel it in my soul that he is, billy is afraid of hospitals, canon is trash sorry bout it, seriously, those are actual tags it suggested and i accept
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-07 23:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21466441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petersfeather/pseuds/petersfeather
Summary: "What would happen if Billy accidentally hurt himself but he was trying to hide it from Hop because he doesn’t want to go hospital but he finds out anyways ☕️"~~~“OhmyGODBilly!” Max is screaming and up and running towards him, Will a little behind. Steve is bent over the boy where he’s lying on the ground, grimacing hard and near wailing any time a sound comes out. “You absoluteidiot!I said don't break myboard, I didn't mean break your bones instead!”“Shut up, Max!”
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: Found Family [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534922
Comments: 7
Kudos: 221





	1. Come On...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will sits on the curb next to Max, watching as Billy skates circles around Steve while Steve just has his hands on his hips, cheeks a little pink.
> 
> “Did you wanna come continue our D&D campaign with us tonight?”
> 
> “Yeah sure, if they’re ever done skipping circles around each other. I don’t have a ride otherwise.”
> 
> “I’m sure Jonathan will drive you. He’s already planning to see Nancy and your house is kind of on the way.”
> 
> "Yeah alright. What book did you check out?”
> 
> “Oh it’s gonna help me with-”
> 
> “_OW HOLY FUCK!_”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there dears!!
> 
> **PREFACE:** This series is full of a bunch of asks from my blog [@okaybutlikeimagine](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/) where lots of lovely and gorgeous people have decided they like my writing enough to ask me to write things! So these works are going to be pretty casual and pretty random! (I'm trying to take out the shorthand but I might miss some). I might also add some content/polish some stuff up on here. So just be aware of that! **These are not full blown fics**, these are ficlets at best, but really they're just responses to asks on Tumblr. I was asked to post these all in one place here on AO3 for following and bookmarking reasons, which is why I'm doing this! **If you're JUST here to read full blown fics and not little ficlets like this, then sorry but this might not be for you!**
> 
> i die over Billy being Stupid. I just.... i love it. Him being cocky and stupid. ♥ our boy
> 
> Prompt is in the summary!
> 
> (title of fic and chapter from Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar)

Billy is Reckless and Steve is a dummy, really, and Max is Done and just wants to go hang out with Lucas or El or hell even MIKE but Steve didn’t believe Billy when he said that he taught Max how to skate so Billy asks Max for her board and tries to show Steve some tricks.

Problem is… Billy hasn’t skated in YEARS. So he’s a little rusty.

“Come _on_ Billy, seriously?”

“You _owe_ me for how often I drive you around.”

“Uggghhhh _fine_, just don’t break it!”

Max kicks up her board and hands it to Billy grumpily. Billy pats her head and Max swipes at his hand as he puts the board down and skates back to Steve. He’s a little wobbly, Max notices, but she just walks herself back to the curb and sits down with a huff. It’s after school and they’re off near the library exit where no one hangs around so that no one can see Billy and Steve being handsy.

In a minute, Will walks by, having hung behind the group to check out a book from the library. His eyes light up a bit when he notices them.

“Hey Max, what’s up?"

"Hey Will."

"Lucas was just saying he was going to ask you to hang out but he couldn’t find you.”

“Yeah, because my _stupid_ brother wants to impress his _stupid boyfriend!_”

“Hey!” Billy and Steve yell back at her simultaneously, Billy trying to do a trick on the board. Max sticks her tongue out, but Will is looking at them and smiling shyly. He's always thought Billy and Steve were adorable. He wants to find a boy who will look at him the way they look at each other. They make him feel like being gay is normal. Is _special._

He sits on the curb next to Max, watching as Billy skates circles around Steve while Steve just has his hands on his hips, cheeks a little pink.

“Did you wanna come continue our D&D campaign with us tonight?”

“Yeah sure, if they’re ever done skipping circles around each other. I don’t have a ride otherwise.”

“I’m sure Jonathan will drive you. He’s already planning to see Nancy and your house is kind of on the way.”

"Yeah alright. What book did you check out?”

“Oh it’s gonna help me with-”

“_OW HOLY FUCK!_”

The two kids look up to see Billy’s ankle is… _not_ where it should be.

“Ohmy_GOD_ Billy!” Max is screaming and up and running towards him, Will a little behind. Steve is bent over the boy where he’s lying on the ground, grimacing hard and near wailing any time a sound comes out. “You absolute _idiot!_ I said don't break my _board_, I didn't mean break your bones instead!”

“Shut up, Max!” Billy barks, accepting Steve’s help to get up.

“We’ve gotta get you to a hospital, babe.” Steve’s voice is filled with concern but Billy has an _intense_ fear of hospitals so he just grabs Steve tighter and rasps:

“_No._”

“Babe, I think it’s broken!”

“It’s at least sprained…” Will says, no color in his face.

“_NO._ Promise me, alright? No hospitals.”

“Babe-”

And Billy does the only thing he can think of, which is give an incredibly dizzying kiss to Steve and wrap his pinky around the pinky of the hand that Steve’s not using to hold Billy up and he pulls away with a “Promise?”

“_Yeah promise~_ wAIT, no, Billy!”

“You already promised, pretty boy.” Billy says, before putting as much weight on the ankle as he can. It’s clear he’s forcing himself through the pain but after walking in a few circles he looks at the group like: _See? I’m fine!_

Will and Steve are the dictionary definition of concerned but Max just rolls her eyes and calls him a dumbass who “at least needs to ice it” before she skates to the front of the school to see if she can catch up with Lucas.

And Billy tries to hide it for fuckin’ DAYS. This boy walks around on a sprained ankle and limps a bit and the first night Hopper is Tired and doesn’t notice but El does and tries to get it out of him but he’s real good at keeping it straight.

The next day Hopper notices at breakfast.

“Somethin’ up with your paw there, kid?”

“My what?”

“Your _foot_, kid, your foot. What’s wrong with your foot?”

And Billy gets defensive as fuck which honestly, NOT gonna help in making himself look fine but it _hurts_ and he’s just a little on edge over here.

“Nothing’s wrong with my foot, see?” He stomps on the ground and somehow manages to not flinch at it. Hop eyes Billy disbelievingly over his spoonful of cereal.

The day after that, Billy asks Hop to drive him to school.

“You want me to do _what?_"

“Drive me to school, what, can you not do that?”

“I can, but I have no idea in hell why you’d _want_ me to.”

“Because I’m sick of putting gas in it and I forgot yesterday and I don’t wanna go get gas right now because I’ll probably be late if I try right now and Steve is working right now and-”

“_Alright_, alright, I get it, I’ll drive you!”

Hop eyes Billy oddly as he favors one foot.

And it’s not until the third day when Hop gets a call at the station that Hop _really_ finds out. It’s the coach of the school’s basketball team, telling Hopper that he needs to get Billy’s ankle checked out because “he’s been unable to practice for 3 days now.”

And when Hop sees Billy next, he just crosses his arms and nods to his truck and says: “Get in the car, kid.”

“Where we headed, _Disneyland?_” Billy snarks, irritated as all hell because his painkillers wore off an hour ago.

“The hospital, you brat.”

“What? Why would I need to go to the hospital? I’m not sick or anything-”

“Cut the crap, your coach called me at the station today.”

“_Fuck him._” Billy mumbles as Hop puts a calming hand on Billy’s shoulder and guides him back out the door. (Joyce took El in for dinner because neither of them felt a hospital would be a good place for her to be hanging out in, even if she was with Hopper.)

“Look, I’ll be fine.” Billy tries in vain.

“Steve said he thinks it’s broken.

“_That bitch._” Billy hisses. “Dad I-” he catches his breath. “I _hate_ the hospital.”

“Yeah, I’m not a big fan either, but I don’t need medical school to tell you walking on a break isn’t a good idea.”

Billy grumbles and pouts the whole way, whining like a kid when they finally get there.

“_Please_, I’ll… I’ll just wrap it up or something.”

“Don’t think I won’t carry you in there, kid. In fact, maybe I _should_ carry you in there.”

But Billy glares him down and says he’d rather die than have someone see him get carried in, so Hop just helps him in.

Now, with all that said, I just need us all to imagine a nervous Billy, body language making him look small as he sits on the middle of a little examination table and picks at the paper on it and jumps a bit when the super sweet doctor comes in and tells him he needs a cast because his ankle is broken.

And then Billy hobbling out with a boot on his ankle and mouth pouting around a cherry lollipop as the doctor follows him and tells Hop: “Your boy was very brave!” with a super sweet smile that Billy wants to slap off his face.

Hop chuckles a bit.

And EVERYONE signs the cast! Like, everybody. All the kids, Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy- even Tommy and Carol (although Tommy totally draws a dick on it to which Billy has to smack him and turn it into a flower or something because “fuck you, dude, my _sister_ is gonna see that!”). Steve signs it like, fucking 5 times, drawing little hearts and stuff all over it and even writing “I love you” and kisses Billy’s cheek after writing it and Billy’s face is blushing hard as he pouts about his foot being in a fucking cast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max is sick of the bullshit. Her brother is at Peak Dumb with his boyfriend. yeah they're cute but also Billy just broke his arm from trying to do a skateboard trick off the curb so you tell me which matter is more pressing.
> 
> if you wanna read this specific post on tumblr, it's [right here](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/post/187322009878/what-would-happen-if-billy-accidentally-hurt)!
> 
> if you wanna read MORE stuff like this/with Billy being happy and having a good family who helps him heal, find more of my writing on my blog [@okaybutlikeimagine](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> you can also find me on my main blog [@pointeful](https://pointeful.tumblr.com/). come catch me bein' lame.
> 
> anyway, thanks soso much for reading and for all of your support and I adore your soul ~♥


	2. Right Back On My Feet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You should totally do a part 2 to the one where Billy breaks his ankle he’s trying to do everything himself and he’s still reckless because love that"
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Billy is _already_ pissy and irritated and grumbling and on top of that, he just flat out _refuses_ to use his crutches once his cast is set. Like, he walks on that shit like it’s not even there even though he’s hobbling around like fucking Frankenstein’s monster because of it.
> 
> “I don’t think you’re supposed to be walking on it like that…?” Jonathan will tell him one day at school after driving them both there because our boy can’t drive with his cast and Billy just looks him in the eye and says:
> 
> “The doctor said it would help my circulation.” all of matter of factly and when Jonathan gives him a disbelieving and disapproving look, Billy makes sure no one is looking so he can stick his tongue out at him before hobbling away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there dear sweet dears!
> 
> **PREFACE:** This series is full of a bunch of asks from my blog [@okaybutlikeimagine](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/) where lots of lovely and gorgeous people have decided they like my writing enough to ask me to write things! So these works are going to be pretty casual and pretty random! (I'm trying to take out the shorthand but I might miss some). I might also add some content/polish some stuff up on here. So just be aware of that! **These are not full blown fics**, these are ficlets at best, but really they're just responses to asks on Tumblr. I was asked to post these all in one place here on AO3 for following and bookmarking reasons, which is why I'm doing this! **If you're JUST here to read full blown fics and not little ficlets like this, then sorry but this might not be for you!**
> 
> I just wanna apologize right now, but I really did not have the time or wherewithal to make this one anywhere near a fic. I'm so sorry!!! but I still enjoyed writing it and i hope you enjoy reading it. ♥
> 
> Billy is Dumb and Prideful Pt. 2
> 
> ^ Prompt is in the summary! ^
> 
> (title of fic and chapter from Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar)

First of all, I’d like to throw out there: Imagine a grumpy as fuck Billy in the hospital who had to get cut out of his fucking jeans for them to get the boot on. Because he couldn’t get himself out of his jeans and Steve wasn’t there with them and he just…… doesn’t want anyone else to help him out of his jeans because he doesn’t like feeling Vulnerable so he’s _pouting_ as they cut his jeans to get the boot on. Then the next day when they put the cast on, our boy has to wear fucking _shorts_ to the hospital and then _every day after that_ now that he has this cast on for a good few weeks.

Steve loves it, always caressing Billy’s calf and thighs when they’re together just like:

“I love being able to see your legs all the time, babe.”

But Billy has his arms crossed and is blushing up a storm and really is trying to stay irritated because “I hate this damn thing, I hate wearing shorts every day.” But also he’s living for being touched like this all the time so _fine._

But point is, Billy is _already_ pissy and irritated and grumbling and on top of that, he just flat out _refuses_ to use his crutches once his cast is set. Like, he walks on that shit like it’s not even there even though he’s hobbling around like fucking Frankenstein’s monster because of it.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be walking on it like that…?” Jonathan will tell him one day at school after driving them both there because our boy can’t drive with his cast and Billy just looks him in the eye and says:

“The doctor said it would help my circulation.” all of matter of factly and when Jonathan gives him a disbelieving and disapproving look, Billy makes sure no one is looking so he can stick his tongue out at him before hobbling away.

And when someone gives him shit for his cast, you best _believe_ our boy uses it to his advantage. Because all those jealous wannabe losers of Hawkins High who see Billy as some kind of threat to their masculinity now see him as some kind of wounded animal, so when a boy is picking on him after school, saying: “Look at you hobbling around campus all _useless._ Must suck, huh Hargrove? You look like an _idiot._”

And Billy is met with a chorus of cackles from that kid’s friends, he stands there, fuming and rubbed the wrong way, and swings the side of his casted foot into the other boy’s shin and stomps it down onto the boy’s foot, who yelps in pain. And Billy gives him a sneer before climbing into Jonathan’s car to be driven home.

And i just? Lil Grumpy Bratty Billy with a cast doing the absolute _most._ Like basically about to put his arm out of its socket because he’s reaching _so hard_ to get his mug off the top shelf and he smacks Hop in the chest every time the man tries to reach around Billy to grab the mug for him because he’s _got this._ And yeah, he’s always had to get on his tip toes to get it and he can’t do that now with his cast so he’s fucking _jumping_ to get it and Hop, who is kind of amused and kind of frustrated watching his kid be a prideful idiot, asks if he _needs a lift there, bud?_ And Billy is growling in his direction before he eventually gets it and shoots a cocky look to Hop once he’s successful.

Bratty Billy with a cast who is still working out and lifting weights, much to Hop’s dismay because “Seriously, kid, you shouldn’t be putting all of that weight on your foot!” and then who stares Hop down before he continues to lift weights while looking Hop dead in the eye.

Bratty Billy with a cast who doesn’t let _anyone_ help him wrap his foot up before he needs to take a shower, not even Steve because he just fucking _refuses_ the help and “I don’t need anyone to help me duct tape a bag to my foot, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it.”

But also imagine Billy stomping and hobbling around the cabin in his cast, pretending to be a monster chasing El around as she giggles and laughs and shrieks ♥

Or Billy bein like: “Sorry Steve, I’m crippled, I can’t do any of the work so you’re gonna have to do all the work for me…” when they fuck.

OR Billy who also tops bein’ like: “Sorry Stevie, you’re just gonna have to ride me because I can’t fuck with my leg in this cast like this.” *shrug shrug*

Just Billy being even MORE of a brat than normal, because he's grumpy and pouty about being indisposed. And everyone being SO SICKLY SWEET about helping him out, can you imagine?

Like, Steve feeding Billy his food because "You're broken, I have to help-"

"My _ankle_ is broken, you stupi-"

"Here comes the train! Open up!"

and Billy grumbles and groans because _this is stupid Harrington_ but he also absolutely loves the attention. He'd never admit to it, honestly. Not at this point, at least. But he loves the coddling.

But then _Max_ starts to coddle. She'll get annoying about it like Billy used to get annoying with HER about when she was sick or whatever and she'd be like: "Oh no, you can't have a cookie, you're injured."

"That doesn't make any sense, shitbird." Billy grumbles but Max just gives a less than sweet smile.

"I'm just looking _out_ for you, Billy."

And so El will do it too! She'll pat Billy on the head and ask how he's feeling and refuse to let him eat cookies (but Billy convinced her to let him eat ice cream because it "numbs the pain")

Jim starts too, rubbing Billy's shoulder and pouting at him asking if he's alright and Billy is just _livid_. Pouting and groaning and swatting everyone away because the _last_ thing he wants is to be this vulnerable. But there's something so... _wonderful_ about it, too. Like, he's vulnerable but for the first time not entirely terrified over it. He's vulnerable in a safe place and yeah, he's bratty and pouty but the beauty of all of it is that he's safe enough to be bratty and pouty about his vulnerability instead of absolutely terrified and that's the biggest win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry again, but I added new headcanon-y stuff so!!! that has to count for something, right?
> 
> if you wanna read this specific post on tumblr, it's [right here](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/post/187475766898/you-should-totally-do-a-part-2-to-the-one-where) for your reblogging/liking/viewing/comparing pleasure!
> 
> if you liked this and wanna read more, you can go to my writing on my blog [@okaybutlikeimagine](https://okaybutlikeimagine.tumblr.com/)
> 
> if you wanna find a blog where the girl has a whole damn tag just for cats, you can find me at my mainblog [@pointeful](https://pointeful.tumblr.com/).
> 
> anywayanyway, i love you dearly, thanks SO much for reading, and i adore your soul ~♥


End file.
